Mets would be wise to add starting pitcher, but have more glaring needs

Michelle Ioannou, MetsBlog | Twitter | The Mets have not put acquiring a starting pitcher at the top of their list, according to multiple reports. This is a bit of a tough pill to swallow after last season -- when the Mets went in banking on their starters, talking about World Series contention because of their starters… and then all of their starters (minus Jacob deGrom) went down during the season.

Having a new, solid starter coming into 2018 would only be beneficial - we need more reliability than just deGrom.

But let's remember that there have been several times where reports tell us one thing, and the Mets do something else (ie hiring Mickey Callaway when everyone else thought Kevin Long or Alex Cora was going to get the job)...

By Andy Martino | Nov 15 | 10:15AM

The Mets spoke on Tuesday with the representatives for free agent first baseman Carlos Santana because that's what baseball teams do in November: they take meetings and canvas the market. The same goes for free agent outfielder Lorenzo Cain and the many other names sure to trickle from loose-lipped agents in the early part of the offseason.

But, according to sources with direct knowledge of New York's thinking, Santana is very unlikely to become a Met. The team remains more focused on finding a reliever, a second baseman (via free agency or trade) and an outfielder who can also play first base. Some reasons for this approach...

Mets could target Bruce, Cain as complicated OF market develops

According to multiple reports, Mets GM Sandy Alderson may be able to spend between $30-40 million in new talent for 2018. In October, he told reporters he'd like to add to the bullpen and acquire a reliable, veteran starting pitcher.

Alderson will also reportedly try to add at least one consistent, everyday hitter. I suspect he'll first try to put a bat at second or third base. If he can't, he'll have no choice but to turn to the outfield. If the big hitter is a center fielder, Alderson can use Michael Conforto in right field. If the Mets end up pursuing a power hitting right fielder, they can use Conforto in center.

The thing is, there are only three or four proven, everyday outfielders available on the open market. At the same time, the Giants, Cardinals, Blue Jays, Indians, Blue Jays, Dodgers, Mariners, D-backs, Red Sox, and Phillies are all reportedly looking to acquire the same caliber outfielder as Alderson...

Mets listed at 20-1 odds to win 2018 World Series

Nov 7 | 3:00PM

The Mets opened at 20-1 odds to win the 2018 World Series, according to a list released by the Westgate Las Vegas SuperBook.

The Mets' odds were the eighth-best in the majors. The seven teams above them -- the Dodgers (5-1), Indians (6-1), Astros (6-1), Nationals (7-1), Yankees (8-1), Red Sox (10-1), and Cubs (10-1) -- all made the playoffs this past season.

Karsay was hired by Callaway and has been the Indians' Triple-A pitching coach the last two seasons

Anthony McCarron, SNY.tv | Twitter | Steve Karsay is a Queens kid, born and raised in New York. He pitched in the Bronx cauldron with the Yankees, serving in the same bullpen as Mariano Rivera, and even subbed at closer for Rivera during a stretch in 2002.

So Karsay has a grasp of the New York market, its pressures and strains. And Karsay, who has worked with Mickey Callaway the last few years in the Indians organization, believes the new Mets manager is suited to thrive in it, mostly because "one of his strengths is, he's a great communicator," Karsay says.

"I think he'll excel at being a manager. He'll be a players' manager, but with the stern-ness and the growth for them to learn under him."

Mets Managerial Candidate: Kevin Long

SNY.tv takes a look at Mets hitting coach Kevin Long as a candidate to be the next Mets manager.

There's a lot of skepticism at the true impact a hitting coach can have on a swing decades in the making, but one of the few who has undeniably made his mark is Kevin Long. That talent has made him invaluable to the Mets and has pushed his name near the top of the list of managerial candidates.

Long has had a significant effect on Mets hitting since joing the team in 2015. He translated the organizational focus on plate discipline -- not necessarily with the goal of drawing walks, but with the goal of finding a pitch to drive -- in a way that clicked for many of their hitters.

Curtis Granderson, who had sung Long's praises since they worked together in the Bronx, rebounded from a rough Mets debut to put together one of the best seasons of his career. Yoenis Cespedes, Neil Walker, and Asdrubal Cabrera both saw big spikes in on base percentage working under Long as well. And Long's intense work with Daniel Murphy certainly seems to have paid off as well, albeit not for the Mets...

With season in rear-view, Mets undergoing vast changes for 2018

Michelle Ioannou, MetsBlog | Twitter | The 2017 season was not supposed to go the way that it did. Mets fans were supposed to be basking in October baseball bliss, celebrating entering the postseason for the third year in a row. Instead, all Mets fans are doing is basking in some of the much needed changes that have been made in the mere 96 hours since the season ended.

That's not a bad thing. In fact, it's a great thing to be basking in, especially after all of the injuries and other questionable decisions that happened throughout this season. MRIs not being taken, minor leaguers not being ready for the bigs even though they should be, injury after injury after injury... I don't have to go into detail, you all know how horrid this season was.

It was the opposite of how any of us thought it was supposed to go, with literally everyone thinking this was a playoff team. The pitching was there and finally together. The big bats were there, especially with Yoenis Cespedes's extended contract. No one could have expected the season to go the way it did. And if you did suspect that, you really need to go and play lotto...

Cespedes says he is rehabbing, will focus on running this offseason

Sep 19 | 5:13PM

Yoenis Cespedes hitting a three-run home run against the Phillies. (AP)

Mets OF Yoenis Cespedes is rehabbing four days a week and will focus on running this off-season to keep his legs healthy, he said to reporters on Tuesday.

"I'm doing a treatment four days a week and it seems to be going very well," he said. Cespedes added that in the past he entered the season with a focus on strength, but wasn't as dedicated to running and he could tell later in the season that his muscles couldn't keep up.

"Mike is not going anywhere," Alderson said. "Mike is one of our most important staff and resources. ... The perception that some people have of what Barwis provides to the Mets is completely erroneous. He provides mostly training in the offseason."

Barwis has been with the Mets since 2015. He relocated the central hub of his Barwis Methods business to newly built training facility at the team's complex St. Lucie, where Mets players (and several players from other MLB teams) spend time in the offseason training with him and his staff.

Yoenis Cespedes was filmed during the offseason doing 1,100 pound 'bear squats,' but Alderson said Barwis had nothing to do with Cespedes working with that much weight and that Cespedes trusts Barwis...

Cespedes changing workout regimen in wake of injuries

Steve Gelbs discusses the Mets' plans to help Yoenis Cespedes increase flexibility by toning down his weight-lifting.

Mets OF Yoenis Cespedes, who will alter his training regimen this offseason, was doing 1,100 pound 'bear' squats before the season, up from 700 pounds in 2015, according to SNY's Steve Gelbs.

Before suffering a season-ending hamstring injury last month, Cespedes -- who dealt with nagging lower-body injuries this season prior to his season-ending one -- said he'd adjust his workout regimen to focus on being more athletic.

"I want to become more flexible, more athletic, have less bulk [in my legs]," Cespedes told the New York Post.. "I want to do less weight lifting. I'm going to do some different things, I want to do yoga, more stretching. I want to be lighter. I want to come back around 210, lose about 15 pounds.''

Cespedes hit .292/.352/.540 with 17 HR and 42 RBI while playing in just 81 games this season. He played in 132 games in 2016...

With that in mind, the Daily News Live panel debated whether the Mets should trade Yoenis Cespedes for Stanton.

The Giants have expressed interest in the 27-year-old Stanton, as have the Rangers and Phillies, notes Nightengale, who says no teams have yet offered to take on the entire remainder of Stanton's contract.

Despite frustrations, Yoenis Cespedes' production this season was strong

A strained hamstring brought Yoenis Cespedes's 2017 to a close -- a season with a lot of the highs and lows and long DL stints that have come to characterize his time with the Mets.

Despite frustrating stretches, including a .665 OPS during the month of July, Cespedes's final line of .292/.352/.540 very closely reflects his overall performance since becoming a Met, and his 17 home runs over 81 games put him on a pace for 34 over a full season -- a tick above his career pace of 32 per 162 games.

Most promisingly, Cespedes proved his .354 OBP in 2016, his best since his rookie year, was no fluke. Since coming to the Mets, he has demonstrated growth beyond the all-or-nothing slugger he seemed to be previously. The Mets invested nine figures in a player they believe is an all-around great hitter. And while there are plenty of concerns about his overall value, at the plate he has been everything the team and the fans could have hoped for...

Yoenis Cespedes placed on 10-day DL with right hamstring strain

Aug 25 | 7:29PM

Mets general manager Sandy Alderson talks about the Mets' plans for Yoenis Cespedes after the slugging outfielder strained his hamstring.

Mets OF Yoenis Cespedes was placed on the 10-day DL after suffering a right hamstring strain in Friday's contest against the Nationals.

While rounding third on what turned out to be a dead ball, Cespedes pulled up in pain. He limped off the field as he couldn't put pressure on his right leg.

GM Sandy Alderon said the strain is similar to Cespedes' left hamstring strain back in late April, and he will definitely be heading to the DL. Alderson went on to say that he will be examined Monday in New York.

By Michael Avallone | Aug 24 | 3:55PM

Things you should know about today's game...

1) Michael Conforto dislocated his left shoulder swinging at a 2-0 pitch in the fifth inning and immediately left the game.

2) Rafael Montero (2-9) surrendered two baserunners over the first four innings, but he allowed six hits and a walk to the next nine batters he faced which resulted in three runs. The right-hander was charged with three runs on seven hits and two walks with five strikeouts in 5 1/3 innings.

The goal, Cespedes said, was to remind their teammates that every game, every at-bat counts, even if they're unlikely to make the postseason.

"We understand what the team's situation is, and how it's not necessarily our year," Cespedes said. "But these games are very important, because we're here to play, to try to win, and the fans spend their money to see us."

Young players shine at the plate, on the mound in Mets' 4-2 win

Aug 23 | 11:23PM

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(Brad Penner)

Many of the Mets' youngest players played key roles at the plate, on the field, and on the mound in the team's 4-2 win over the Diamondbacks on Wednesday night.

Michael Conforto had two RBI singles to lead the offense, while Dominic Smith hit his third home run and Amed Rosario had two hits and an RBI. Brandon Nimmo hit a double and reached base four times. On the mound, Chris Flexen pitched six innings for the first time in his career and earned his third win of the season.

"It's fun for me because I played with these guys coming up," Conforto said after the game. "It's cool that now they're here with me. I think right now they're in the part where they're just getting their feet wet... I think they're doing a great job so far and when the time comes I'll give them some knowledge if need be."

The good, the bad, the Cespedes

Yoenis Cespedes drives in the Mets' lone run against the D-Backs. (AP)

In his last 13 games, Yoenis Cespedes has five home runs, 11 RBI, including a run-scoring single Monday night against the D-backs.

It's a terrific two weeks following major slump, which was proceeded by a fairly positive April. The point is, Cespedes is frustrating. He regularly lays up on fly balls, jogs to first base and tosses under hand pop ups to the field. Then, the next night, he'll hit a mammoth home run, hustle to make a sliding catch and run first base to third as well as anyone in baseball.

Similarly, this past Sunday, Cespedes missed two pop ups that MLB's Statcast said he had a 76 and 99 percent chance of catching. The next night, he hustled to make a terrific, sliding catch in left-field that he had only a 19 percent chance of catching.

According to Statcast, during his catch sensational catch Monday, Cespedes reached a sprint speed of 27.6 feet per second, which allowed him to cover 81 feet in the four seconds he needed to make the grab...

Things you should know about tonight's game...

1) Erik Goeddel allowed a two-run homer to A.J. Pollock in the 10th inning to lift the Diamondbacks. Jerry Blevins, Paul Sewald and AJ Ramos had combined to strike out four over 3 2/3 hitless innings prior Goeddel's appearance.

2) Yoenis Cespedes tied the game with a bases-loaded single in the seventh inning. Asdrubal Cabrera was thrown out at the plate on a perfect throw by Diamondbacks' left fielder David Peralta. Michael Conforto hit his 27th home run of the year leading off the bottom of the 10th.

By Michael Avallone | Aug 20 | 4:10PM

Things you should know about today's game...

1) Jacob deGrom allowed five runs for the second consecutive start, punctuated by Giancarlo Stanton's Major League-leading 45th home run, a three-run shot in the seventh. DeGrom surrendered 10 hits and didn't walk a batter while striking out eight over 6 1/3 innings.

2) Yoenis Cespedes homered, doubled and drove in two runs. Wilmer Flores had a sacrifice fly and Travis d'Arnaud singled in a run during the Mets' three-run eighth. New York entered the frame with three hits and two walks against Marlins starter Adam Conley, who struck out a career-high 11 over seven innings.

Things you should know about tonight's game...

1) Hansel Robles allowed a tie-breaking home run to Aaron Hicks leading off the eighth inning. Gary Sanchez added a solo blast off Erik Goeddel later in the frame.

2) Rafael Montero pitched six innings and allowed two runs on five hits and two walks with six strikeouts. He escaped a bases-loaded, one-out jam in the fourth when he surrendered only a sacrifce fly. Aaron Judge's 36th home run of the year tied the game, 2-2, in the sixth.

Hicks, Sanchez hit late home runs to power Yankees to win over Mets

Aug 14 | 10:14PM

SNY's Sweeny Murti reports from Yankee Stadium where the Yankees defeated the Mets 4-2 in the first game of their four-game Subway Series.

Aaron Hicks, Aaron Judge and Gary Sanchez each hit solo home runs to power the New York Yankees to a 4-2 win over the Mets on Monday at Yankee Stadium. >> Box score

With the game tied at 2 in the bottom of the eighth inning, Hicks crushed Hansel Robles' 1-1 fastball to deep right field to give the Yankees a 3-2 lead. Sanchez added an insurance run later in the inning with a solo home run off Erik Goeddel.

The Yankees trailed 2-1 in the bottom of the sixth inning when Judge slugged his American League-leading 36th home run of the season, his second in the month of August, to tie the game.

By Michael Avallone | Aug 12 | 10:50PM

Things you should know about tonight's game...

1) Steven Matz pitched four hitless innings but allowed two runs and four hits in the fifth, including two straight two-out RBI singles. He allowed two runs on four hits and two walks with one strikeout in 5 2/3 innings, which stretched his winless streak to eight starts.

2) Yoenis Cespedes gave the Mets a 1-0 lead with his second homer in as many days in the fourth. He struck out on three pitches with two runners on to end the eighth inning. Amed Rosario had a double in the third, but he was thrown out to end the inning trying to steal home on the front end of a double steal.

Who will join Cespedes and Conforto in Mets outfield in 2018?

By Adam Rubin | Aug 11 | 12:00PM

New York Mets center fielder Juan Lagares attempts to make a catch against the Atlanta Braves in the third inning at SunTrust Park. (Brett Davis/USA TODAY Sports)

With Jay Bruce traded to the Cleveland Indians and Curtis Granderson set to be a free agent at season's end, that allows the Mets to move Michael Conforto to right field in 2018.

So where do team officials turn for a center fielder next season? After all, a platoon of Brandon Nimmo and Juan Lagares in that position (with Yoenis Cespedes and Conforto in the corners) really does not seem like the best-case scenario.

The Mets hit three homers in the first two innings to back Chris Flexen, who picked up his first major league win in the Mets' 5-4 victory over the Rangers on Tuesday night at Citi Field.

By Michael Avallone | Aug 8 | 10:15PM

Things you should know about tonight's game...

1) Michael Conforto, Yoenis Cespedes and Travis d'Arnaud homered in the first two innings as the Mets jumped out to 4-0 lead. Asdrubal Cabrera had an RBI double in the seventh after the Rangers had cut the deficit to, 4-3. Conforto walked twice and reached safely three times.

2) Chris Flexen was charged with three runs over a career-high 5 2/3 innings to notch his first Major League win in his Citi Field debut. The right-hander allowed four hits -- including a pair of solo homers to Joey Gallo and Adrian Beltre -- and three walks with four strikeouts. He also picked up his first big league hit with a double in the fifth.

3) Erik Goeddel allowed an inherited runner to score in the sixth, but combined with Jerry Blevins to toss 2 1/3 scoreless innings. AJ Ramos allowed a solo homer to Robinson Chirinos in the ninth but picked up his 21st save of the season and first with the Mets.

It could be up to Terry Collins whether he's back with Mets in 2018

Terry Collins is in the final year of a two-year extension he signed at the end of 2015.

To date, there have been no reports that he and the Mets have discussed a contract extension.

"That his situation remains unresolved is just one indication that there doesn't seem to be a clamoring within the Mets organization to retain Collins, and it may well be that -- after seven years of managing the Mets -- he's ready to move on to something else," ESPN.com's Buster Olney wrote this past weekend. "Nobody has said anything out loud, one way or the other."

While the Mets were able deal Lucas Duda and Addison Reed for four pitching prospects, they did not trade away Neil Walker, Asdrubal Cabrera, Jay Bruce, or Curtis Granderson, all of whom are eligible to be free agents at the end of this season.

Bruce, 30, and Walker, 31, are both owed roughly $6 million for the remainder of 2017. Granderson, 36, is due around $5 million, and Cabrera, 31, who has an $8.5 million team option or $2 million buyout for next season, is owed roughly $2.5 million.

While July 31 is considered the "trade deadline," trades can and do happen through August via waivers, and the Mets will be looking to take advantage of this process...

Three takeaways from Sandy Alderson about 2017 and beyond...

By Adam Rubin | Aug 1 | 12:20PM

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Alderson joins Loud Mouths00:11:14

Mets GM Sandy Alderson joins the show to discuss the decision to finally call up Amed Rosario amongst other various trade deadline moves.

In addition to announcing Amed Rosario will make his major league debut tonight, Mets GM Sandy Alderson also offered the following noteworthy insights about his intentions for the remainder of this season and beyond...

1. Don't discount an August trade

The Mets could deal Asdrubal Cabrera, Curtis Granderson, or Jay Bruce to any team this month provided the player clears waivers. Players with bigger contracts, such as Cabrera, Granderson and Bruce, typically clear waivers, since teams seeking to block a trade are reluctant to put in a claim. After all, if a team claimed a Mets veteran, Alderson conceivably could dump the contract on the claiming team, even if no trade is completed...

Three takeaways from Sandy Alderson about 2017 and beyond

By Adam Rubin | Aug 1 | 12:20PM

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Alderson joins Loud Mouths00:11:14

Mets GM Sandy Alderson joins the show to discuss the decision to finally call up Amed Rosario amongst other various trade deadline moves.

In addition to announcing Amed Rosario will make his major league debut tonight, Mets GM Sandy Alderson also offered the following noteworthy insights about his intentions for the remainder of this season and beyond...

1. Don't discount an August trade

The Mets could deal Asdrubal Cabrera, Curtis Granderson, or Jay Bruce to any team this month provided the player clears waivers. Players with bigger contracts, such as Cabrera, Granderson and Bruce, typically clear waivers, since teams seeking to block a trade are reluctant to put in a claim. After all, if a team claimed a Mets veteran, Alderson conceivably could dump the contract on the claiming team, even if no trade is completed...

Mets in good shape payroll-wise to retool this winter

By Adam Rubin | Jul 28 | 3:00PM

Duda had been poised to be a free agent this winter, and the Mets would not have entertained re-signing him because of prospect Dominic Smith's readiness for the majors.

With contracts also expiring for Addison Reed ($7.75M), Fernando Salas ($3M), Curtis Granderson ($15M), Jay Bruce ($13M), Neil Walker ($17.2M), Jose Reyes ($535K), and Rene Rivera ($1.75M), and with the Mets holding team options for Asdrubal Cabrera and Jerry Blevins for next season, they should have plenty of financial flexibility this winter to retool.

Cespedes looking to change workout program to focus more on flexibility

Jul 27 | 10:14AM

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New York Mets left fielder Yoenis Cespedes (52) rounds second on an RBI triple during the seventh inning against the San Diego Padres at Petco Park. Cespedes would score on the play after a throwing error from San Diego Padres first baseman Wil Myers (4) to third. (Jake Roth-USA TODAY Sports)

After dealing with nagging leg injuries this season, Yoenis Cespedes wants to change his workout regimen in a way that focuses on him being a more athletic player, he told the New York Post.

Cespedes, who has spent time on the disabled list with hamstring and quad injuries, wants to focus less on the weight training he put an emphasis on this offseason.

"I want to become more flexible, more athletic, have less bulk [in my legs]," Cespedes told the Post. "I want to do less weight lifting. I'm going to do some different things, I want to do yoga, more stretching. I want to be lighter. I want to come back around 210, lose about 15 pounds.''

By Michael Avallone | Jul 26 | 1:30AM

Things you should know about tonight's game...

1) Yoenis Cespedes hit a tie-breaking triple and scored on a throwing error by Padres first baseman Wil Myers during the same sequence in the seventh. The Mets' outfielder also delivered an RBI double and slugged a solo homer in the opening frame, his first long ball in 87 at-bats dating back to June 23. Cespedes left the game as a precaution following the top of the seventh after feeling tightness in his quad.

2) New York fell behind 3-1 but rallied to tie the game on RBI doubles by Cespedes in the fourth and Asdrubal Cabrera in the fifth. Travis d'Arnaud's run-scoring single plated Cabrera to give the Mets a brief 4-3 lead. Curtis Granderson reached base three times on a single, double and a walk.

Mets' win over A's overshadowed by Yoenis Cespedes' comments

By Adam Rubin | Jul 22 | 9:45AM

Larry Ridley, Doug Williams and Steve Gelbs break down Yoenis Cespedes' comments on Friday about his desire to go back to Oakland.

The Mets can't win, even when they win.

Michael Conforto launched a pair of two-run homers and Jerry Blevins stranded the bases loaded in the eighth inning en route to a five-out save as the Mets earned their third straight victory by beating Oakland, 7-5, in Friday's series opener at Citi Field. Yet the Twitter topic du jour instead focused on pregame comments from Yoenis Cespedes to the San Francisco Chronicle in which Cespedes expressed his admiration for his initial MLB stomping grounds.

Cespedes, who played for the Athletics from 2012 until getting traded to the Red Sox midway through the 2014 season, said he hoped to finish his career back with Oakland.

Yoenis Cespedes says he wants to finish his career with the A's

Jul 21 | 7:11PM

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New York Mets left fielder Yoenis Cespedes drops his bat after hitting a solo home run during the fourth inning against the Philadelphia Phillies at Citizens Bank Park. (Bill Streicher/USA TODAY Sports)

Mets OF Yoenis Cespedes would like to finish his career in Oakland, per San Francisco Chronicle's Susan Slusser.

Cespedes told former A's and current teammate Jerry Blevins that his goal is to ride off into the California sunset when his playing days are over.

"I wish that happens," Cespedes said. "I told Blevins, 'I don't know how many years I'm going to play, but I'm going to play the last year of my career with Oakland.' I don't know if that's possible or not, but that's my goal."

As the trade deadline approaches, Mets open to adding cash to trades

It's feeling like the Mets may be missing the moment to make a trade. Admittedly, I started today worried they may botch the July 31 non-waiver trade deadline, end up stuck with pending free agents and lose out on acquiring prospects and players who could help next season.

However, after talking to people around baseball, I'm slightly less pessimistic.

TC is concerned about Yoenis Cespedes, who is hitless since hip issue flared up

Jul 19 | 10:59AM

Yoenis Cespedes has struck out twice and is hitless in nine at-bats sincemissing Sunday's game with the same sore hip that forced him to leave a game early the day before.

It has been 66 at-bats and nearly a month since Cespedes last hit a home run.

Cespedes, 31, missed 37 games earlier this season due to a sore quad and a strained hamstring. He also missed time last season with a sore quad, which he initially tried to play through before ending up on the disabled list.

"There's a little concern there," Terry Collins admitted Tuesday, when asked about how Cespedes has struggled this season. "Obviously, power is huge from the legs. Just looking at the swings, the lower half seems to be fine. He's just not getting the bat out in front."

Yoenis Cespedes struggles in return from resting sore hip

Jul 18 | 10:45AM

Yoenis Cespedes returned to the lineup Monday night and was hitless, going 0-for-5, after resting his sore hip the previous game.

Trailing 6-3 with two runners on base in the bottom of the ninth inning, Cespedes came to the plate with a chance to tie the game. However, he swung in a 3-0 count and grounded into a game-ending double play.

"He's the home-run hitter, he's the big guy on our team you turn to, and you got him in a great count," manager Terry Collins said after the game. "He's got to get something good to hit, and he just didn't hit it."

Cespedes is back, in Monday's lineup

Jul 17 | 3:15PM

New York Mets left fielder Yoenis Cespedes leaves the field after being injured against the Colorado Rockies during the sixth inning at Citi Field. (Andy Marlin/USA Today Sports Images)

Mets OF Yoenis Cespedes who sat out on Sunday due to a sore hip, is back in the lineup for Monday night's series-opener against the Cardinals at Citi Field.

Cespedes did not play Sunday after he left Saturday night's game with soreness in his left hip after an awkward slide in the outfield.

Cespedes missed 37 games earlier this season due to a strained hamstring and quad soreness.

"I'm just glad there's nothing more serious because it sure looked a lot worse than it turned out to be," Mets manager Terry Collins said before Sunday's game, according to Newsday's Marc Carig. "We're glad that it's only going to be a day, not a week or a month."